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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Loved this story. Four new Eagles before Ramadan. With Scouts like these, we can safely ignore fear-mongering politicians and their dead-wrong ideas. Scouting, like the country in general, is a very big tent.

These are MS Excel spreadsheets, so the advancement tracker contains formatting, formulas and pivot tables. I have provided instructions on how to configure the pivot tables to generate individualized reports. The Program Plan is basically something I found, modified, and improved to suit my own way of working, including sheets for lesson ideas in each skill area. The six-month version is something I wanted to do a while ago, but never got around to until now. It hasn't been tested yet, so caveat emptor.

I wrote the following into the draft six-month plan: 'think of the requirements as a lesson plan outline, so you're teaching skills, not "doing requirements"...Skills are what the boys learn, requirements are how they demonstrate that learning.'

If anyone winds up using these, let me know how useful you found them, and what modifications you made to make them better.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

"Please review the newly released Scouter Code of Conduct from the Boy Scouts of America. The Code of Conduct outlines the standards of leadership for all adult leaders in Scouting. This Code demonstrates that Scouting values are still intact with Duty to God strengthened as a core principle. Scouters are not judged by any labels but are accountable to the behavior outlined in the Code."

I don't read it so much as a new policy per se, but as a reiteration of those things Scout Leaders should already be in compliance with. The items below are nothing new. Putting them all in one place, with no wiggle room, is; it eliminates ignorance of policy as an excuse by unequivocally stating that these policies exist.

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICASCOUTER CODE OF CONDUCT

On my honor I promise to do my best to comply with this Boy Scouts of America Scouter Code of Conduct while serving in my capacity as an adult leader:

I have or will complete my registration with the Boy Scouts of America, answering all questions truthfully and honestly.

I will do my best to live up to the Scout Oath and Scout Law, obey all laws, and hold others in Scouting accountable to those standards. I will exercise sound judgment and demonstrate good leadership and use the Scouting program for its intended purpose consistent with the mission of the Boy Scouts of America.

I will make the protection of youth a personal priority. I will complete and remain current with youth protection training requirements. I will be familiar with and follow:

If I am taking prescription medications with the potential of impairing my functioning or judgment, I will not engage in activities which would put Scouts at risk, including driving or operating equipment.

I will take steps to prevent or report any violation of this code of conduct by others in connection with Scouting activities.

Eric the Half-bee

The Volun-Told Oath

On my honor, I will do my bestTo do my “Duty to God” book and my Spalding,And to obey, honor and sustain some laws;To help other people when Br. Franklin organizes a Service Project™;To keep my avatar virtually strong, stay awake and morally clean too.

If this is a reflection of a Troop you know,blame the grown-ups, not the boys.

What's all this, then?

When I was on Active Duty in the Air Force, we'd refer to someone's being assigned a job they didn't want as having been volun-told. Scouters in the LDS Church are typically not volunteers, but are "called to serve" in Scouting positions. And so, we're an army of volun-tolds doing the best we can in a job we probably never would have asked for.

In late 2010, I was asked to serve as an Assistant Scoutmaster in my ward. This is my 4th or 5th Church Scouting assignment, but it's the first time I've really jumped in with both feet [edit - in late 2013, I was released from this responsibility, but I'm still a MBC]. Since then, I've learned a ton about what Scouting is, but more especially what it isn't, and fielded lots of questions from parents and others. This blog is intended to collect those ideas into a useful format, address those "traditions which are not correct", and to be a resource to other parents and Scouters.

This blog is not affiliated with either the LDS Church or the BSA. It is simply one dude's attempt to clear up confusion. The opinions stated here are mine, with citations to actual policies as required. I figure that if I'm going to say something is definitive, I at least owe you the source for that definition.